On Track for Skill India, Railways to Train 30000 Apprentices in 2018-19

The Railways wants to recruit, and add to its workforce.

The year 2018-2019 will see the Indian Railways train 30,000 apprentices as part of a ‘Skill India’ initiative. These apprentices will be trained at 16 zonal and seven production units, for roles across the Railways – like fitters, turners, machinists, welders, painters, carpenters, electricians, refrigerators and AC mechanics, vehicular mechanics, etc.

Those who wish to take up these jobs this year can keep an eye out for the 26,000 apprenticeship training slots that have already been announced for 2017-2018.

4000 individuals, across various establishments, are already in a training program.

These hires, for this year and the next, are part of a large-scale employment drive by the Railways. An employment circular sought the recruitment of a total of 62,907 staff on Level 1 pay scales. From these, preference will be for apprentices trained in Railway establishments.

The Apprentices Act’s recent amendments direct 12,000 vacancies to be earmarked for apprentices.

Level C and Level D Employee recruitment drives are also on, for 89,000 employees. Those jobs are all across the Railway spectrum – pilots, technicians, switchmen, trackmen, helpers, porters and others.

“The Railways wishes to make its workforce more accomplished, through skill training via formal institutions, and on-the-job-training. Basic training comprises 20-30% of the overall duration of the apprenticeship, given to those who haven’t had any form of instruction before,” a Ministry of Railways press release said.